Dilatable sanitary douche



Nov. 27, 1 6 w. B. h AANDELL 3,065,750

DILATABLE SANITARY DOUCHE Filed May 3, 1961 INVENTOR. WILLIAM B. MANDELL .BYWWW ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,065,750 DILATABLE SANETARY DQUCHE Wiiliam B. Mandeil, 15 Center St., Neptune, NJ. Filed May 3, 1961, Ser. No. 107,354 4 Ciaims. ((11. 128229) This invention relates to a sanitary douche which may be dilated upon passage therethrough of the fluid employed therewith. More specifically, it deals with a cylindrical unit surrounded by plastic bags or balloons which become dilated upon passage therethrough of sanitizing liquid under pressure.

Douches employed at the present time for Washing and sanitizing the vaginal tract are merely rigid tubes connected with a pressure device, such as a rubber bulb, in which the sanitizing liquid is contained and from which the liquid is forced by hand pressure through said tube and a nozzle connected therewith. Such units are not elfective in cleaning out tissues which may be folded over or enclosed in wrinkles, and the like.

According to the present invention, a douche device is provided which, after insertion, can be dilated by the pressure of the fluid, thereby stretching all membranes and thus cleaning them effectively.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings which described a preferred embodiment, and in which FIGURE 1 illustrates a side view of such a douche in inflated or dilated condition. A top view thereof is depicted in FIGURE 2. FIGURE 3 presents a side view of a portion of the unit of FIGURE 1 in exploded or disassembled condition. FIG- URE 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a plate-flange portion, showing the manner of sealing the ends of the plastic tubes or bulbs. Similar numerals refer to similar parts in the various figures.

Referring again to the drawing, numeral 5' represents a cylindrical body which may be solid and which preferably is made of a hard plastic such as polystyrene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, cellulose acetate-propionate, ethyl polymethacrylate, or the like. Tube 5 is provided at its ends with flanges 6 and 7. These flanges have annularlycentered holes 8, 8', 8", etc., and 9, 9', 9", etc., respectively, for passage therethrough of the ends 11 and 12 of inflatable tubes or ballons 1t), 1t), 10 mounted vertically around cylinder 5. These inflatable tubes are preferably made of thin plastic or rubber membrane, such as polystyrene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, gum rubber, synthetic rubber, or the like. Although there are preferably five or six such tubes, their number may be more or less, as desired.

Superimposed over upper flange 6 is flow concentrating plate 13, which may be made of the same material as cylinder 5, and which has, projecting from its bottom surface, rounded sealing nubs or bosses 14, 14, 14", positioned in register with openings 8, 8' and 8" of flange 6. Channels 15, 15, and 15" are drilled through the centers of nubs 14, 14' and 14" and to spray discharging recess 16 provided on the top of plate 13. Oval-topped spray-deflector nose 17 has centrally-located screw 18 which passes through hole 19 in plate 13 and is screwed into threaded hole 20 in the top of flange 6 and body 5. Shoulder 21 above threads 18 seats on the surface of recess 16 and thus prevents nose 17 from being screwed too far, permitting a space 22 of about or A as required, through which the spray may be discharged. Nose 17 also is provided with a notch 23 to facilitate screwing or unscrewing of the nose portion from the body 5.

Lower fluid-spreading plate 24 has its upper surface provided with rounded sealing nubs 25, 25, and 25", etc., similarly to nubs 14, 14', 14", etc., on plate 13 and the ends of the plastic tubes.

serving a similar purpose to seal ends 12 of tubes 10, 10', 10", etc., respectively, from the outside while permitting fluid to flow therethrough internally. Plate 24 also has centrally-disposed opening 26 through which screw 40 of holder 25 may pass. An enlarged central opening 34 also is provided in the bottom portion of plate 24 to serve as a distribution reservoir to feed fluid therefrom into channels 28 connected therewith and penetrating nubs 25, 25', 25", etc., so that fluid entering reservoir 34- will pass through channels 28, thence through nubs 25, 25', etc., and through tubes 10, 1t), etc.

Holder or handle 29 has a vertically-directed centrallydispo-sed screw 40 in its upper portion, designed to pass through hole 26 in plate 24 and to screw onto the threads in opening 27 in body 5. Feed opening 30, through which fluid is fed, terminates in holder 29 with branched channels 4-1 connecting with fluid reservoir 34 when holder 29 is screwed tightly against plate 24. An inner concavity 31 in the upper part of holder 29 is complementary with the convexity of lower portion 32 of plate 24, so that when holder 29 is tightly fastened against plate 24, surfaces 31 and 32 are in fluid-sealing relationship, preventing any escape of fluid to the outside of the assembly.

As noted at the bottom portion of FIGURE 1, the lower end 50 of handle 23 is enlarged to provide cavity 51 into which is inserted, against shoulder 52 a capsule 53 made of fine stainless steel wire mesh screen. This capsule is enclosed entirely by the wire mesh, except for side opening 54, through which may be inserted (after capsule 53 is removed from cavity 51) a medicament or sanitizing tablet which dissolves slowly into the water passing through opening 36. The screen would prevent solid portions of the tablet from entering the fluid stream. Inlet tip 55 is screwed into threaded cavity 51 in liquid sealing relation therewith, and serves to hold capsule 53 in place and also provides nipple 56 to which the inlet liquid (water) hose may be attached.

FIGURE 4 illustrates one manner of external sealing It will be noted that end 12 of tube 10 is pulled through hole 1 of flange 7, and may be cemented thereto, if desired. Plate 24 is disposed against flange 7 so that nub 25 fits into the open end 12, and when screw 40 is tightened, fluid from holder 29 would enter channel 34', then it would pass through the open end 12 of tube 10 and into the tube. Pressure of nub 25 on the tube end 12 and rounded edge 9' of flange 7 seal the system effectively against any exterior leakage of fluid.

When in use, the douche, with its tubes 10, 10', 10", etc., in collapsed condition, is inserted into the cavity and water pressure from a faucet or similar source is applied to handle 29 so that the water would flow through opening 30 in the handle, having picked up the proper amount of sanitizing agent or medicament from a storage tablet inside screen capsule 53 inside cavity 51 in handle 29. The Water, under pressure, enters handle inlet 56, then passes through screen capsule 53, after which it enters reservoir space 34 and is distributed through channels 28 and through flange 7 and into tubes 10, 10', 10', etc., inflating them. Thereafter, the fluid passes through the several openings in flange 6 and the streams enter plate 13, where they are directed to impinge on the lower peripheral surface of mushroom-shaped nose 17, thence issuing as a spray through circumferential space 22. Thereafter, the fluid returns by passing in the space 35 (FIG. 1) between tubes 10, 10, 10", etc., and out past holder 29. When the operation has been completed, the water pressure is shut off, causing collapse of tubes 1%, 1t), 10", etc., and the unit is withdrawn.

It will be noted that although separate tubes 10, 10', 10", etc., may be employed, it is possible to employ tubes cemented to or formed out of a plastic sheet which may be wrapped around body 5.

I claim:

1. A dilatable sanitary douche comprising an elongated body, a series of elongated inflatable tubes longitudinally surrounding said body, mounting means for mounting said tubes at their ends on said body, a hollow inlet handle attached to one end of said body and designed to carry fluid therethrough and to direct said fluid into one of the ends of said tubes so as to dilate said tubes during passage therethrough, and a hollow outlet nose portion attached to the other end of said body and designed to receive fluid from the other ofthe ends of said tubes and to discharge said fluid in the form of a spray.

2. A dilatable sanitary douche comprising an elongated body, a series of elongated inflatable tubes longitudinally surrounding said body, mounting means for mounting said tubes at their ends on said body, a hollow inlet handle attached to one end of said body and designed to carry fluid therethrough and to direct said fluid into one of the ends of said tubes so as to dilate said tubes during passage therethrough, a capsule and a screen container removably disposed in said capsule and said container being disposed within said handle and designed to accommodate a medicinal tablet to be dissolved gradually in said fluid, and a hollow outlet nose attached to the other end of said body and designed to receive fluid from the other ends of said tubes and to discharge said fluid in the form of a spray.

3. A dilatable sanitary douche comprising an elongated closed body having a centrally-disposed threaded opening at each end, a flange disposed around each end of said body, means forming openings disposed in annular array in each of said flanges, the openings of one flange being substantially in register with those of the other, a series of thin membranous elongated inflatable tubes disposed longitudinally around said body, said tubes being narrowed at each end, each end of one set of narrowed ends being threaded through an opening in one flange and each end of the other set of narrowed ends being threaded through an opening in the other flange, a first plate fitting over one flange and having a central opening and a circular row of projecting rounded nubs disposed on its lower surface in register with and fitting within said tube ends in outside sealing relation, a blunt circular flat-bottomed nose serving to cover said first plate and having attached thereto a centrally-disposed downwardly-directed screw designed to pass through said opening in said first plate and fit the threaded opening in said body, stop means at the top of the thread on said screw designed to provide a narrow opening between said nose and said plate when said nose is tightly screwed into said body, means forming a series of channels passing upwardly and inwardly through said first plate beginning at each nub and terminating under the peripheral edge of said nose, a second plate fitting over the other flange and having a central opening and a circular row of projecting rounded nubs disposed on its upper surface in register with and fitting within said other tube ends in outside sealing relation, a screw designed to pass through said latter opening and fit the other threaded opening in said body and tightly hold said second plate thereto, said second plate having a narrowed threaded bottom portion, means forming a series of channels passing upwardly and outwardly through said second plate, beginning at around said screw head and terminating through each nub, and a hollow handle portion having an enlarged forward end, and means forming a threaded cavity in said latter end and designed to be screwed onto said threaded bottom portion in outside liquid sealing relation, the aforesaid parts, when assembled in operating condition, being designed to allow liquid under pressure to pass through the hollow handle portion, thence through the channels in the second plate as separate streams, thence through each tube, inflating same and causing a dilating effect, thence out through said first plate, the streams being concentrated under the peripheral edge or" said nose from which said fluid issues out as a fine spray and is returned exteriorly past the spaces separating the tubes.

4. A dilatable sanitary douche according to claim 3 in which the handle has an enlarged rearward end, means forming a threaded cavity in said latter end, a screen capsule disposed within said latter cavity and designed to accommodate a medicinal tablet to be dissolved gradually in said fluid, and inlet closure means serving to close said latter cavity in outside fluid sealing relation and having a fluid inlet for passage therethrough of the fluid to be employed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,653,163 Friedman Dec. 20, 1927 1,719,428 Friedman July 2, 1929 2,610,627 Watt Sept. 16, 1952 2,650,592 Borda Sept. 1, 1953 2,811,156 Bragg Oct. 29, 1957 

